New releases this week: Industrial/Noise

Review: Karolina BNV is not to be messed with, putting it lightly. The Berlin-based producer has garnered a loyal following among fans of EBM, New Beat, industrial, electro-goth and robot sex droid fetish production scenes. The latter we just made up but hopefully you get what we're getting at. Descriptions aside, she follows her 'Lessons On Good Behaviour' release with four more tracks born from a terrifying future we're probably already living in, we just don't really know it yet. From the apocalyptic sludge and punch of 'Unforgivable Decisions', to the electro rave squelch and staccato percussion of 'Context Abuse', the two tracks roll out relentless grit and grime. Then you have '1988' and 'Germany Calling', with their retro futurism, acid house totems held high in the air for all to see that there is still some resistance to the robots.

Review:  The rather unpronounceable Schwefelgelb is back with more club-ready goodness across two original tracks that blend pounding 138 bpm drums with inescapable basslines. The raw energy of the designs are enhanced by intricate arrangements and fresh sound design which marks a bold step in Schwefelgelb's evolution as they fuse hard-stomping techno with tonal playfulness. Adding versatility is UFO95 who contributes a dubby yet driving 4/4 remix, while Flore shifts gears entirely, exploring UK bass territory to close out this fine slab of 140g coloured vinyl.

Review: PainKiller, the mythihcal trio formed in 1991, returns after a 30-year hiatus with a bold new album. Featuring the groundbreaking talents of bassist Bill Laswell, saxophonist John Zorn and Napalm Death's Mick Harris on electronics, the band has once again redefined the boundaries of jazz, metal and experimental music. Their original sound, which fused grindcore, ambient and dub, is now expanded with Harris's innovative electronic beats, creating a rich, immersive soundscape. Despite Laswell's ongoing health struggles, including diabetes and heart issues, the album captures a revitalized energy, showcasing the trio's unique ability to merge chaotic intensity with intricate, atmospheric textures. Zorn's impassioned sax and Laswell’s bass, shaped by his limited physical capacity, still bring the raw power and experimental spirit that made the trio so influential. The album blends abrasive sounds with moments of haunting beauty, remaining true to PainKiller’s ethos of pushing musical extremes. With a sound that pushes even further than their past work, this reunion record offers a fresh, electrifying direction, proving that the trio’s chemistry and creativity remain as potent as ever. PainKiller continues to challenge the boundaries of genre, delivering a riveting exploration of sound.

Review: The peerless Dark Entries is back with another comprehensive new collection, Deep Entries: Gay Electronic Excursions 1979-1985, which is a well curated collection of ten rare queer synth tracks that explore the hidden corners of gay musical history. They span a pivotal period of six years and the songs range from sultry to angsty to camp with plenty of lovely 808 snares and textural analogue synths. This period in particular saw the gay community having to deal with the onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis and these tracks capture the era's mix of love and longing. Patrick Cowley's music is always going to stand out wherever you hear it and that is the case here on 'Love Me Hot,' while Megamen's proto-electroclash 'Designed for Living' and Paula Villagra's techno-pop anthem 'Happy Song' are also real gems.

Review: Years Of Denial is back on Veyl with their second LP, Suicide Disco Vol. 2, the follow up to 2019's Suicide Disco. Here the duo make a triumphant return, raising their sound to the plural heights of darkwave, goth, new beat, post-punk, EBM and techno. Opening with the prudent breaks charge 'Art Break' - on which the gothic black tears on the front cover collide imagistically with muddy bass whooshes and gated power-keg snares, and a sinisterly driven vocal line from Barkosina - we soon move into a pummelling dozen tracks. These draw cues from hard techno to dark synth, embracing and going to the ends of a hedonistic, paradoxical pursuit of pain. The record's algolagnia betrays itself more and more and more, with 'Death Of A Lover' and 'Regarding The Pain Of Others' taking an almost ritual approach to sonic blood sacrifice, as though it were an unconsciously fundamental fact of life. We're equally impressed by the less techno-ey moments on the record too, such as 'Mr. Guilllotine', a sonic gigantomachy of new-wave drum collisions and batlike animorphic howls.